Tariffs, Russia, Pakistan, H-1B: When 2025 tested India-US ties

Multiple policy issues strained and tested the bilateral relationship in a manner not seen in decades

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The US and India ties in 2025 have been a rollercoaster ride as punitive and reciprocal tariffs, a conflict with Pakistan and stringent immigration policies strained and tested the bilateral relationship in a manner not seen in decades.

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US to meet President Donald Trump and the signing of the 10-year defence framework pact between the two countries were seen as the high points in the relationship.

The year began on an exemplary note with Modi's visit to Washington, DC, for his first bilateral meeting with Trump in his second term in the White House in February.

Modi was only the fourth foreign dignitary - after leaders of Israel, Japan and Jordan - to meet Trump within weeks after his inauguration as 47th US President.

The meeting encapsulated the strengthening US-India strategic partnership.

Trump and Modi announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by the fall of 2025, aiming to more than double trade to USD 500 billion by 2030.

A month earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar sat in the front row inside the US Capitol Rotunda when he attended Trump's inauguration on January 21, representing the Government of India.

Hours later, the newly sworn-in Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Jaishankar, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takeshi Iwaya and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong for the first Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the new Trump administration.